PNN
New Delhi [India], March 9: As we celebrate International Women's Day 2026, the spotlight shines on women leaders who are transforming industries, shaping policies, and driving global growth. From entrepreneurship to corporate boardrooms, women are redefining leadership with innovation, resilience, and a commitment to inclusivity. Their contributions extend beyond profits, fostering social impact, mentoring future generations, and championing equality in traditionally male-dominated sectors. This day is not only a recognition of achievements but also a call to action to continue empowering women worldwide. Their vision and influence are catalysts for sustainable progress and societal change.
1. Shipra Dawar, Founder of iWill and GITA
Shipra Dawar, Founder of iWill and GITA, is at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence with mental health and emotional well-being. With a strong vision to make mental health support more accessible and personalized, she is building technology-driven platforms that empower individuals to better understand and manage their emotional health.
Through iWill and GITA, Shipra is leveraging AI to create innovative solutions that offer guided self-help, emotional support, and mental wellness tools designed for today's fast-paced world. Her work focuses on combining technology with empathy, ensuring that mental health resources are not only intelligent but also deeply human-centric.
As a woman leader in the evolving AI and mental health landscape, Shipra is redefining how technology can support personal growth and well-being. On International Women's Day 2026, her journey stands as an inspiration--demonstrating how innovation, purpose, and compassion can come together to shape a healthier and more mindful future for society.
2. Dr. Neha jain, Director of Dr.Neha Jain's Bliss & Bless Women's Health Clinics & Dr. Jain's Path Labs, Senior Consultant (Visiting) with Sitaram Bhartiya, Madhukar's Rainbow, Cloudnine and Fortis Hospital
Dr. Neha Jain is a gynecologist and obstetrician who completed her MBBS and post-graduation in 2008 from the prestigious Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. She currently runs a chain of clinics in South Delhi under the name Bliss & Bless Women's Health Clinics and serves as a senior visiting consultant at leading hospitals including Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, Rainbow Children's Hospital, Cloudnine Hospital, and Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj.
She previously worked in a Delhi government hospital and as a part-time faculty member at the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare until 2015. Thereafter, she established Dr. Jain's Bliss & Bless Clinics in Mehrauli, an area where access to gynecological care was limited. Committed to inclusive healthcare, she continues to charge nominal consultation fees for patients from economically weaker sections. Over time, she expanded her practice into multiple clinics across South Delhi, offering laboratory services, multi-specialty consultations, and radiodiagnostic facilities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Jain performed numerous surgeries and deliveries at Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj and was honored with the Satya Sai Award at the Press Club of India. She also actively conducts awareness campaigns on anemia, PCOD, and cancers, while organizing free medical camps every month. She has co-authored a book that received international recognition and is also known for her poetry and oratory. On International Women's Day, her journey reflects dedication, compassion, and the power of women leaders in healthcare.
3. Anjini Sharma - Founder of Gaia Flex
As industries worldwide move toward sustainable innovation, women leaders are playing an important role in shaping responsible business practices. Anjini Sharma, Founder of Gaia Flex, is among the emerging entrepreneurs contributing to this transformation in the packaging sector.
With experience in the flexible packaging industry, Anjini Sharma recognized the growing environmental concerns surrounding conventional plastics. This inspired her to establish Gaia Flex, an initiative focused on developing sustainable, 100% biodegradable and compostable packaging solutions for evolving global markets. She is committed to creating solutions that meet both business needs and environmental responsibilities.
"Sustainability must become the foundation of future manufacturing," says Anjini Sharma, Founder of Gaia Flex. "Businesses today have the responsibility to innovate while protecting the planet."
Through Gaia Flex, Anjini Sharma aims to support the transition toward environmentally responsible packaging while encouraging more women to pursue leadership roles in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Her journey reflects the growing influence of women entrepreneurs driving sustainable innovation and responsible business practices today.
4. Pallavi Keshri, Founder of Eyaas
This International Women's Day 2026, we celebrate women leaders whose vision, creativity, and resilience are shaping a better, more inclusive future. One such leader is Pallavi Keshri, Founder of Eyaas, a thoughtful lifestyle brand dedicated to bringing traditional Indian craftsmanship into contemporary homes.
Built on the philosophy of sustainability and cultural preservation, Eyaas creates design-led, handcrafted products that are practical, affordable, and suited for daily use. The brand showcases a diverse range of crafts, including hand-painted ceramics, block-printed textiles, handwoven fabrics, pottery, and artisanal home decor, reflecting the skill, dedication, and legacy of its makers.
Under Pallavi's leadership, Eyaas collaborates closely with artisans to reinterpret traditional techniques through modern design sensibilities, ensuring that heritage crafts remain relevant while retaining their cultural essence. By bridging tradition with modern living, the brand promotes conscious consumption, supports craft communities, and champions sustainable fashion and decor.
On this day, Pallavi Keshri celebrates the courage, innovation, and leadership of women everywhere, inspiring the next generation to pursue their dreams with purpose, creativity, and determination.
5. Smriti Agarwal, Founder of Femme Forward
Smriti is the founder of Femme Forward, a platform dedicated to amplifying women's voices and fostering meaningful conversations around empowerment and social change. Through the Femme Forward Podcast, she brings forward real stories, experiences, and perspectives of women from diverse backgrounds, creating a space where conversations inspire, inform, and empower others.
Guided by the philosophy of "Women Supporting Women," Femme Forward aims to build a community where women uplift and encourage one another through shared journeys, challenges, and achievements. The platform focuses on highlighting voices that often go unheard and addressing important topics related to opportunity, safety, representation, and leadership.
Supporting this vision is Nigam Gupta, the Creative Head of the team, who oversees the editing process and creative direction, helping bring the platform's conversations and stories to life.
With a strong belief in the power of storytelling, Smriti hopes to use Femme Forward as a medium to spark dialogue, raise awareness, and inspire positive change across communities.
6. Priyanka Gulati
Priyanka Gulati highlights how women are often appointed to leadership roles or given critical projects when the situation is already fragile: declining performance, internal politics, shifting sponsors, or unclear mandates. They are expected to fix complex problems with limited support. And when things don't turn around quickly enough, they are often the ones blamed.
Take the example of Jacinda Ardern. She led her country through terror attacks, a pandemic, and global economic stress. Initially praised for her leadership, over time empathy was reframed as softness and decisiveness as exhaustion. Eventually, she stepped away before the cycle of criticism could harden.
But this phenomenon doesn't happen only at the top. It plays out every day within organisations. A woman leader may be asked to "steady the ship," but the ship often comes with unclear ownership, shifting sponsors, inherited decisions, and limited authority. She absorbs the chaos quietly, tries to collaborate, and keeps things moving--until silence is mistaken for consent, softness for weakness, and responsibility becomes confused with blame.
If you have faced the glass cliff, DM. Priyanka Gulati, through FICCI FLO, is working to spark conversations and find ways to confront and overcome this challenge together.
7. Dr. Roopakshi Pathania, Consultant Neurologist at Vivekanand Medical Institute, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
International Women's Day celebrates the remarkable contributions of women who are advancing science, healthcare, and leadership across the world. In the field of neurology--one of the most complex and rapidly evolving branches of medicine--women physicians are playing an increasingly vital role in improving patient outcomes and advancing neurological awareness.
Dr. Roopakshi Pathania, Consultant Neurologist at Vivekanand Medical Institute, Palampur, represents this new generation of dedicated women leaders in neuroscience. Her work focuses on the timely diagnosis and management of neurological disorders such as stroke, epilepsy, movement disorders, neuropathies, and migraines. Through a patient-centered and evidence-based approach, she emphasizes early detection, accurate diagnosis, and long-term neurological care for patients.
Neurological diseases often have life-altering consequences, making compassionate care and clinical precision essential. Physicians like Dr. Pathania not only treat illness but also educate communities about neurological health and prevention. On International Women's Day 2026, her work reflects how women in medicine continue to shape the future of neurological care through expertise, leadership, dedication, and a commitment to improving lives.
8. Tulika Pant Karnatak, Co-Founder of Pokonut
Tulika Pant Karnatak: Restoring Women's Confidence Through science backed Ayurvedic Skincare
Tulika Pant, Co-Founder of Pokonut, is on a mission to change how women look at skincare from chasing cosmetic perfection to embracing healing and confidence. In an industry often driven by beauty standards, Pokonut focuses on real skin concerns that women quietly struggle with, from stretch marks and dark patches to postpartum skin changes.
The brand is built on the philosophy of science-backed Ayurveda, combining time-tested botanical ingredients with modern dermatological research to create formulations that focus on healing rather than masking skin concerns. This approach reflects Pokonut's core belief: "We Heal What You Hide."
For Tulika, Pokonut is not just about skincare products, but about creating a movement that normalizes real skin stories and restores confidence in one's natural skin.
Today, a growing community of women across India resonates with this vision, supporting the brand not just as customers, but as believers in its mission of "Healthy Skin, Healthy You".
9. Seema Bhatnagar, Founder & MD of Futopia Global Private limited
Technology is evolving faster than ever, and Artificial Intelligence is at the heart of this transformation. As a woman leader in the technology industry, I strongly believe that the future will belong to those who combine innovation with purpose.
Seema Bhatnagar, Founder & Managing Director of Futopia Global Private Limited, believes that AI is no longer limited to laboratories or complex software systems--it is becoming a part of our everyday lives. From smart devices to wearable technology, AI is empowering people to work smarter, communicate better, and experience the world differently.
At Futopia Global, we are embracing this shift by bringing AI closer to consumers through innovative products. Our AIVIS AI Smart Glasses on Amazon and Novita AI Glasses on Flipkart represent a step towards wearable intelligence--technology that enhances how we see, capture, and interact with the world around us. Soon, we will extend this vision further with the launch of AI-powered All-in-One PCs and laptops, designed to make intelligent computing more accessible.
For Seema Bhatnagar, innovation is not just about launching new products; it is about enabling people to experience technology in meaningful ways. Women leaders today are not only participating in the technology revolution--they are actively shaping it with creativity, resilience, and vision.
This International Women's Day, Seema Bhatnagar celebrates every woman who dares to innovate, challenge boundaries, and build the future with confidence.
(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)
